Earlier primary unlikely

Wednesday

HARRISBURG - While Gov. Ed Rendell has not pulled the plug on the idea of moving Pennsylvania's 2008 presidential primary election to February, the proposal clearly is on life support.

Secretary of State Pedro Cortes, the state's top election official, said on Wednesday that it would be very difficult, but not impossible, for his office to prepare for an earlier primary if the Legislature passes a bill this fall changing the election date.

Cortes' comment came after his appearance before a Senate State Government Committee hearing on election issues.

Later Wednesday afternoon, Rendell said rallying support for his energy plan, healthcare reforms and other initiatives would keep him busy this fall, leaving little time for pressing lawmakers to move the primary date.

Before leaving Harrisburg for summer break, the state House of Representatives passed a bill that would move the primary election to Feb. 12 next year. The primary is scheduled for April 22.

The Senate has not voted on the bill and has shown little interest in taking up the issue when lawmakers return on Sept. 17.

Erik Arneson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, a Delaware County Republican, said the budget passed earlier this month did not include any funding for moving the primary or holding separate primaries for presidential and state and local races.

Holding two primary elections would cost the state a total of about $36 million, state officials have said.

"We have no plans to push for a change in the primary date," Arneson said.

During the Senate hearing, Cortes said the administration supports an earlier primary to give the state more clout in picking presidential nominees.

"We should have a say in who the presidential candidates are, and we don't," Cortes said.

That's because 39 states plan to hold primaries or caucus elections next year before Pennsylvania voters head to the polls on April 22.

2, according to the National Association of Secretaries of State.

But even moving the primary to Feb. 12 may do little to bolster the Keystone State's status because 27 states are planning primaries or caucuses before that date.

"If we really want to be considered a significant player on the primary scene, we would have to move up to Feb. 5," said Christopher Borick, a pollster at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.

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